Road Trip
by Johnny Cade's little sister
Summary: 20 years have past an the gang has deicided to take a summer road trip with there kids,J.D,Patrick,Mike,Shynee,Cola,Kevin,and Eric my first fanfic please be gentel jk say what ever you want Complete!
1. Driving six hours with 3 kids

Chapter 1

Ponyboy POV.

Driving with my family is insane! J.D, who usually is my saving grace, is in a horrible mood and fighting with Patrick for poking baby Mike and the baby will not stop crying! Lord knows how much I miss my wife at times like these. Connie would get Mikie calmed down; Patrick to play a game to keep him occupied, and could talk to Johnny about her cousins and uncles that I have failed to visit in 5 years, Darry and Sodapop haven't even meet my youngest yet.

"All right that's enough! Patrick Darrel stop poking your brother and Johnny Dallas will you please get Mikie to be quite. Thank you." I order. I usually don't raise my voice to my kids, but this had been going on for 15 minutes and they where testing my last nerve.

J.D had gotten the baby to sleep and put him back in his car seat. "Hey dad? We've been driving for 6 hours and you still haven't told us where we are going. I know you said it was a surprise, but us just past the 'Welcome to Oklahoma' sign and I have a pretty good idea where this little expedition is going"

I smiled at J.D. She had my brains, her mother's and Soda's good looks and Darry's determination in life. She also had Soda's good sense of humor. Patrick was the spitting image of Darry, but he had my green-gray eyes. Michael Jr. looked like a mix of me and Sodapop. Even his eyes were a mix of us, his left one was brown and his right one was green-gray. Connie loved that little quirk about Mike, before the accident. It would be 3 months next week.

"And where do you think we are going, babe?" I asked her in a shocked tone.

"Either to Uncle Darry's or Soda's house, but I still haven't got any idea how long were going to be here in this hick state" Johnny Dallas replied.

"Were going to start out at Darry's place them where we go is up to him, Soda, Two-Bit, and Steve. They dragged us into a summer road trip, kids"

"Um, Daddy, Pat gets really bad car sick and do you think it's the smartest thing to bring a 4 month old baby on a road trip?" J.D asked.

"It's a work in progress, Johnny, and I had two other kids before Mike and we'll dope Patty up with Dramamine so everything will be fine, J.D" I reassured my oldest.

Before she could reply Patrick shrieked " Dad, Dad look! I can see the 'The Welcome to Tulsa' sign. We're here!"


	2. Meeting Darry

Chapter 2

J.D POV

When we pull into Darry's driveway I try to remember the last and only time I came to Tulsa to meet my dad's side of the family. I was only 9 and Pat was 1 going on 2 and Mike wasn't even a thought yet. Man do I miss those days when mom was alive and dad was always smiling. Mom had been killed in a gas station hold-up and I can only blame myself. Me, and Mom were having a girls day and I wanted to get a Pepsi, so Mom went into the old DX and walked right into two thugs holding each a 9mm and shot her thinking she was a cop. The guy that shot her shot himself at the scene and the other got away. Dad still has not reached closer.

Dad got out of the car and helped me get Mike out of his car seat. I held him while dad got out the luggage from the trunk, thankfully Mikie was still sleeping. Patrick helped Dad, he was really strong for a 7 year old kid, Dad said he got it from Uncle Darry.

"Hey Dad Uncle Ponyboy is here!" I turned to see my 18 year old cousin Shynee leap pole volt style over the porch railing to greet us.

"Hi, Shynee, how has it been?" asks my dad while Shynee helps dad get the bags, taking over Patrick's job.

"It's been good, hey you go ahead and go inside Ill get the bags for ya" says the 18 year old

"Alright, come on J.D, let's go see your uncle. Pat, can you help Shynee with the bags, bud?" asked dad

"Sure Dad" shouts eager beaver Patrick

We walk up the porch steps and open the door to find a very muscular man either in his late 30s or early 40s. His hair is somewhat grey and he has worry lines on his forehead. This must be Uncle Darry.

"Hey Dare or should I say Gramps?" Dad jokes with Darry.

"Oh shut up, Ponyboy! This must be Johnny Dallas and baby Mike!" he shakes the hand that I'm not using to hold my brother.

"Hi Uncle Darrel, I go by J.D" I say. Good Lord he is like frickin' huge, he's like the Incredible Hulk!

"Sorry, J.D, so how old are ya now? 12? 13?" he jokes with me.

"14 sense March." I try to be as polite as I can for Dads sake. I know the only reason we can here, is not for the trip, it's so Dad can get his mind off Mom, but I haven't been here for 5 years and I am REALLY uncomfortable talking to Godzilla.

"Boy, have you grown! You look just like your mama." Why did he have to say that?! I looked over to Dad and he was looking to the floor taking a deep breath like he did when he was sad or tired. I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, Pone, I don't know why I said that…" Darry starts

"It's fine Dare. Is that Soda pulling in?" Dad reassures his brother

"Yeah that's him. You better go out there to see him before he has a heart attack." "Alright, is there somewhere where Mikie can finish nap?" Dad asked Darry, meaning that I put Mike down.

"Yeah, your old room is fine." He answered

"J.D, would you…"

"Yeah sure Dad. Down the hall, Darry?" I asked my uncle

"To your left. Let's go see that brother of yours Pone." Uncle Darry puts his arm around Dad while I walk down the hall to my dad's old bedroom. I open the door and put Mikie on the bed. I look around the room and find a old photo on the nightstand.

I pick it up and look at it and find a young teenage boy staring back at me. He has what looks like, the picture is in black and white, light brown hair and green eyes. This must be my Dad.

He's sitting down on the porch and a handsome teenage guy has his arm around him. His hair is lighter than Dad's and he has brown eyes like Mike's left one. Uncle Soda.

There's a muscle hipped guy in the back row with brown hair that kicks up in the front. Uncle Darry.

A smaller boy that looks about my Dads age in the photo with big black eyes and jet black hair, on his face there is a scar from his temple to his cheekbone. I don't know who he is.

There is a stocky guy smiling like a goof with rusty-colored sideburns. I saw him last time I came here, the only reason I remember him is because he watched me and Pat and set our dinner on fire. I think his name was Two-Bit.

A tall guy was standing next to Sodapop. He had greasy long hair that was combed in swirls. Now I know him from the last visit here. He was the one to put out the fire that Two-Bit started. I think this was Steve.

The last person in the picture is some tough looking guy with a towhead and blond-white hair and a mean looking expression on his face. I don't know who he is either.

"J.D?" I turn around to find Uncle Darry in the doorway.

"Oh, sorry" I whisper for Mikie's sake "I didn't mean to pry."

"Its fine, kiddo ,do you want to come outside to meet the guys?" he isn't really giving me a choice.

"Sure, be there in a minute Uncle Darry." I put the picture down and followed Darrel out to meet my fathers childhood friends.


	3. Meeting the Guys

Patrick's POV

I liked Shynee. He was tall and strong plus he said that I look like him when he was my age. If I look like him when I'm 18, well let's just say the girls in my class will be all over me.

J.D really didn't want to come to Tulsa, but I don't know why. She's weird like that, but I guess she's alright, kinda. I think this place is better than St. Louis, its way to loud and there's no place to play except to the parks, but there's always teenagers smoking stuff , well J.D wont tell me what they smoke because she doesn't want to get me curios and try it.

"Hey shorty, you wanna grab this for me?" Shynee asks me.

"Sure Shynee." I take the bag from his hands and put it on the porch. I can see Dad and J.D and some guy that looks like Superman. Then I hear a car pulling up in the driveway. I turn way from the window and see 6 guys coming out of a big R-V.

"Hey Shay, get your butt over here and give a hand!" shouts a husky guy with rusty-grey sideburns. He is carrying 5 grocery bags and a women's purse.

"This must be Ponykid's son!" says another man coming out of the R-V.

"Hi, I'm Patrick. My Dad's in the house if you wanna see him." I say as politely as I can. Mom always told us to be polite when we meet people we don't know, unless they give of a creepy feeling, then were suppose to ignore them and find Dad or J.D.

One man comes closer to me to greet me. He has blond hair and brown eyes like Mikie. He's really handsome, Dad says that his brother got the looks in his family, but I think my Dad is handsome to. He squats down so he's at my level, I usually hate when grown-ups do that, but with this guy I don't mind.

"Hey I'm your Uncle Sodapop. I'm your dads brother, and speak of the devil there he is!" I turn around to see that my Dad is coming out the door with Superman's arm over his shoulders.

"Ponyboy!" shouts Soda as he runs to my Dad. Dad hugs him and Soda messes up his hair as the guy with the sideburns comes over to my dad and pushes Soda away and starts to squeeze the life out of him.

"Ponykid!" he hollers

"Two-Bit, will you put me down!" Dad starts to laugh. He hasn't laughed sense Mom died, in fact he would barely smile. Maybe this is why J.D reluctantly came so Dad would laugh and smile more.

J.D comes out of the house and looks like she would like to disappear; J.D can be really shy at times. Dad puts his arm over her shoulders and walks her over to introduce her to Uncle Soda and Two-Bit. I walk over to Shynee and the other guys to meet them. Shynee smiles at me and waves a hand as a signal for me to join them.

"Guys this is my and Cola's cousin, Pat. Guys Pat, Pat Guys." He introduces me.

The Guys look older that my sister by 2 or 3 years. The oldest looking one, besides Shynee, has rusty colored hair and gray-blue eyes. He is kinda husky like the guy holding the purse, so I guess this is his kid. The next two look the same age, but they look a lot different. One is taller and has thick brown hair and green eyes. The other is a little shorter and has blondis-brown and bright brown eyes like Uncle Soda, maybe this is Coke-a-Cola.

"Hey I'm Cola" he says. Yep I was right. "So you're Uncle Ponyboy's oldest right?"

"No, I'm the 2nd oldest, J.D's the oldest she's 14 and I'm 7." I answerer.

"That's your sister!" says the guy with thick hair. "Cola why haven't you told me that you have a perfectly cute cousin, just waiting to be snatched up!" he cries while looking at J.D.

"Cool your jets, Eric, one I haven't talked to her in 5 years and two she is 2 years younger than you." Says Cola before he swats the back of Eric's head

"You want me to get her to come over here?" I ask, trying to fit in with them.

"Its ok Pat, you don't..." Cola starts

"Oh, yes he does! Kid you get your sister to come over here and Ill give you $5" interrupts a very excited Eric. I don't get what the big deal is, J.D ain't nothing special.

I run over to the group that J.D is in. She's standing with Dad, Uncle Soda, the guy that looks like Superman, and the 2 other guys that came out of the R-V. I tug on her jacket to get her attention. "Hey J.D, the guys over there want to meet you." I tell her. "Oh no," laughs the guy that was holding the purse "Steve, looks like puberty is doing its job on your Eric again!" "Aw, hush-up Two-Bit. Kevin ain't any better!" laughs another guy with thick like Eric's, maybe this is his dad. "Dad can I just stay here" whispers J.D like she does when she's embarrassed. "They didn't mean nothing, Johnny" says Superman "They're just playin', Eric and Kevin are nice guys, go over there and meet them." He encourages.

J.D comes over with me to meet the guys and Eric slips the 5 in my hand before he starts to flirt with my sister. This was going to be a fun road trip.


	4. Braking the ice with Cola

**Thank you guys for the reviews! Means a lot! So here we go with chapter 4.**

Colas POV

Patrick seems like a cool kid. It's the kids sister that seems like she hates to be here, either that or she's just really, really shy. Uncle Darry isn't helping the problem by calling her Johnny, neither. She mostly hangs around her dad and the aunts.

"Cola! Would you come in here and give me a hand?" calls my dad

"I can't Dad! I need both for a successful life, according to Muscles" I call back

"Ha, Ha, don't be a smartass Cole get in the kitchen and help me and J.D." he orders.

I walk into the kitchen to find Dad and J.D making fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, mac'n'chesse, and something that looks like desert. Dad smiles at me and then at J.D. She offers a wane smile and a half wave towards me. At least she's trying to make some progress. She seems more comfortable with Dad than with Darry. But than again, so are most of the guys. Darry is kinda intimidating being so huge.

"Hey there shorty!" I greet her. She blushes and my dad laughs and puts his arm around her and whispers something in her ear that makes her burst out laughing.

"What's so funny that I can't hear?" I ask them. I know that when dad does that it's never good for me.

"Nothing, son, nothing." He laughs as he leaves the kitchen, me and J.D

She continues to work and tries to talk to me as less as possible. The only thing that she ever says to me is 'hi' or 'excuse me' Yep this girl has an extreme case of shyness. So I decide to break the ice.

"So, you from St. Louie, right?" I ask and she jumps a little not expecting me to talk to her.

"Um, what? Sorry I didn't catch that." She responses

"I asked if you from St. Louis." I repeated

"Yeah, I'm from St. Louis, you from Tulsa?" she answers in a smart-alce tone.

"Oh, oh, oh, so you do have a sense of humor! Me and Shay thought you had a stick up your…"

"J.D, will you come here?!" calls out Uncle Darry. She looks at the ground and I know what she's thinking. So to be nice to the poor kid I decide to take the call of the Beast, my secret nick-name for my uncle.

"Hey, Uncle Dare, she's making dinner. I'll help ya though." I offer him. She looks up at me and mouths 'thank you' and offers me a smile, that makes me smile too. She seems like an ok kid.

"Come outside and help me fix the septic tan on the R-V!" he shouts back. I suddenly regret my offer and look back at J.D, she is trying very hard not to laugh. "Kid, you owe me big time." "Tell you what, for doing this for me, I'll tell you what your dad said to me earlier." She says kid I'll take that as payment." I laugh as I head out the kitchen to help Darry fix the R-V's crapper bag.

J.D's POV

I was really thankful for Cola taking my job from me. I know how to fix a septic tank, but that does not mean that I like to. Dad has taught me how to fix anything from a septic tank to an air conditioning unit. Most guys think I'm butch, because I'm taking Shop and not Home Ec, like to play football with the guys in the neighborhood, never wear skirts, and can fix things. Hell no I am not butch! I have worn a dress on Sundays when my Daddy makes me and yes I like to play football, but I have taken dance classes but I just didn't like them. My mama could fix things to, but she was always wearing a dress and she spoke with flawless grammar. Man, do I miss her.

Two-Bit and Soda's wife come into the kitchen, and Two-Bit starts to pick at the dessert I just put on the counter to thicken. As he starts to put his finger into my marshmallow salad I slap his hand with my spoon.

"Ow! That hurt, I just wanted a taste. You don't need to hit me with a spoon!" He cries in a dramatic voice.

I start to laugh. "If you want to keep that hand, you'll keep out of the dinner until its ready." I threaten playfully waving my spoon at him in a threatening manner.

"Edgy, you remind me of Pony when he was your age, he was touchy too. Don't worry, you'll grow out of it, maybe." He smirks

"Johnny Dallas, thank you for making dinner," says Aunt Rachel "You sure you don't want any help?"

"No thanks, it's almost done anyway. Thanks for the offer, actually, I wouldn't mind some help sitting the table." I ask timidly. I was tried from making the dinner and the drive.

"We'll help ya, J.D" offers Eric. He means me and Kevin set the table while he flirts with me.

"I only need one person, Eric your tired from the football you guys were playin' you sit down. Kev, I would love some help" I say in order to avoid Eric flirting with me again. I have had my fill of Eric today.

We set the table and I holler out the window to the boys out there. "Dinners Ready!" I call. They all look up and Cola immediately runs from Darry and the septic tank to come inside. I laugh and go back tot Kevin.

"So, how you likin' our fare city of Tulsa, Miss Curtis?" asks Kevin in a very hick accent.

"Oh, it's defiantly interesting" I say as 13 people come into the house and swarm the table. I look at my Dad and he's grinning like a maniac. 'Ok, let's get this freak-show going' I think as I sit down at the table and watch Two-bit make a smiley- face in his wife's mash potatoes when she's not looking. This should be fun.


	5. Dinner Time and Flashbacks

**Sorry it took me so long to update, been busy with my mother getting deployed to Afghanistan and writing my second story. Here we go with Chapter 5.**

Soda's POV

Man it was good to have Ponyboy back. I haven't seen him in 5 years, yeah we talked on the phone once every week, but it wasn't the same as seeing him in person. I still feel like an ass for not being there for him when Connie died, but for some strange reason, he didn't tell us until 2 days after the funeral. He sounded so devastated that I could barley understand what he was saying and I had him give the phone to J.D so she could explain what had happened to Connie. J.D had sounded so guilty on the phone and I wanted to come down but Pony said not to. He said that he didn't want to give the kids any more things to deal with along with their mother passing away. So me and Darry didn't go down to see them and Pony stopped calling me. Then Darry, who now owns his own contracting firm, had this idea to go on this summer road trip with just the kids and the dads. I called Pony and he thought it was a great idea, his daughter, however, seems to have other ideas how she would want to spend her summer.

"Dad, pass the potatoes." Said Cola.

"Here ya go, Coke-a-Cola" I say as I pass the bowl to him.

"Thank ya, Daddy-o." he smirks. I roll my eyes. Unfortunately Cola had inherited my smart mouth, now I know what I put Darry thru and man was I sorry. Every time he says something smart in front of me and Darry I give him a sincere apology for every smart thing I had ever said to him during my teen years.

J.D is sitting next to Eric and Shynee, and Eric keeps flirting with her while Shay is flinging his corn at Kevin while Darry and his wife Lizzy aren't looking. Kevin is playing with his desert and is entertaining Patrick by drawing inappropriate _items_ in his potatoes. Eric puts his arm around J.D and whispers something in her ear that makes her go pale and then spit in his food. I look down and shake my head. This reminds me _to much_ of our old dinners when me and Steve were 17 and Pony was only 14. Cola slaps the back of Eric head and asks "What is wrong with you, she's 2 years younger than you!" I'm starting to miss the old days at the kid's side of the table.

Darry and Pony are talking about travel plans and night time plans for the night. Two-Bit and his wife are talking about Kevin's latest scheme at the high school. Apparently, he Eric and Cola had all worn short-shorts to school and put the vice-principals car in the art room next to Kevin's painting of him, Eric and Cola pointing and laughing at Mr. Oats, the vice principal never got to them in time to give them detention because school had been let out for summer 3 hours before he found his car. I still have no idea how they got the car into the building in the first place.

"Soda! Hey are you listening to me?" my wife interrupts my thoughts

"What, honey, sorry I was thinking." I said. I love my wife; she can always understand me and my antics.

"That's fine, baby. I asked if you thought if it was a good idea to have J.D and Patrick stay at our house for the night so you guys can get an early start in the morning for the trip.?" She repeated for me. During the war I lost part of my hearing in my left ear, so when a person talks to me from my left side I really don't hear them, Rachel understands but sometimes I ignore her on purpose to annoy her and sometimes Rach can't tell if I really hear her or just ignoring her.

"Yeah its fine. J.D can have the guest bed and Patty can bunk with Cola." I say

"Eric just stop it!"

"OW!"

"Hey Cola that was my drink!"

"Get a towel!"

"Hey! Cola watch it!"

"Ha Ha, Eric got hit by a girl!"

"What are you guys doing?!" Darry shouts

I turn to see Eric holding his eye, Shynee covered in , Patrick fallen out of his chair, and Kevin laughing his head off. This image is to familiar to me as I start to laugh and remember the time at thanksgiving when Dallas had made the turkey and things had turned out messy….

_Flashback:_

_ "Dal, what are you doing to the turkey?!" asks a startled Ponyboy._

_ "I'm seasoning it." He answered simply _

_ "And how exactly is stuffing beer cans in the turkey seasoning it?" asked Pony_

_ "Gives it flavor. Besides you guys asked me to help and I'm helping so shut your trap." He snapped._

_Pony rolled his eyes and went back to making the sweet potatoes. This was the first Thanksgiving without mom and dad it would also be the last one we would have with Johnny and Dallas. Darry was at the store to get ingredients we either forgot or didn't have. Johnny and Two-Bit were making the pie, which turned out to be the worst tasting pie know to man. Not that it was Johnny's fault; Two-Bit thought the pie needed something special so he put three cans of Pepsi in there since I wouldn't let him put beer in it._

_ "I'm home! How's the dinner coming?" Darry asks as he comes thru the door._

_ "Oh, it's coming alright." Steve reassured him trying not to laugh._

_ "Turkeys in the oven and be ready in an hour." Dally yelled as he flopped down on the couch._

_ After an hour we set the table, sat down, said grace and started to eat. Darry carved the turkey and gave me the first piece._

_ "Why, thank you." I said in a very girly voice. Darry just rolled his eyes and started passing the turkey around. After we all got the food that we wanted on our play Darry got up because he forgot to wash his hands. Then that's when it all started._

_ "Hey Dal, this turkey tastes kinda funny." Says Johnny timidly._

_ "What's wrong with it? Tastes fine to me." He asks _

_ "Yeah, Johnnycake, tastes fine to me too." Said Steve._

_ "I think it tastes weird to." Says Ponyboy." But it's a good kinda weird."_

_ "Yeah, hey can I have some of the turkey juice?" asks Two-Bit as he reaches for it knocking over Steve's glass and his. _

_ "Hey, Two-Bit! Watch it!" Steve yelled._

_ "Sorry!" Turning around swinging his arm and hitting an off-guard Pony knocking him out of his chair._

_ "OW! Two-Bit."_

_ "Sorry!" _

_ "Dallas watch out the potatoes!" next thing I know Johnny is wearing the sweet potatoes on his head, Pony's on the floor, Steve is covered in soda, and Dallas and Two-Bit are running to the kitchen to get napkins. Then Darry walked in._

_ "I was gone for 2 minutes!" he exclaimed._

_ End of Flashback_

Those were the days.


	6. Venting and Nightmares

**Again thank you guys for the reviews and nice comments about Road trip. And I was reading the story over and saw a few typos so I apologize for that, so let's get going with chapter 6! PS thank the Lord for Spell Check.**

Chapter 6

J.D POV

After we cleaned up the mess, played football, visited, and said goodbyes, me Patrick and Sodas family went to his house to spend the night. I did not want to go. Coming to Hicksville I could do, taking care of Mikie when dad went to play football sure that's fine, but having a sleep over with people who I barely know is where I have a problem. I didn't say anything to dad or Patrick so I vented to Mike. Even though he can't understand me it's still nice to have someone to whine to.

"He didn't even ask me if it was ok with me to stay with them!" I exclaimed to Mike as I was changing his dipper in my dad's old room. All Mikie did was blow bubbles and gurgle. Even that was better than nothing. Just as soon as I was done Soda popped his head in the door.

"Hey, J.D, you ready to head out?" he asked as he took Mikie from me to make funny faces at him.

"Yeah, I'm ready." I grabbed my bag and started for the door until I realized that Sodapop wasn't following me. "Uh, Uncle Soda, what are you doing?" I asked. He was holding Mike at eye level and staring into his eyes. "This is so weird!" he whispered. "What is so weird?" I whispered as I walked over to him and Mike. "Mikie is." He answered. "And how is Mikie weird?" I asked _very_ confused. "His eyes, I thought your dad was joking about this." "And why would he lie about that?" I asked. "I don't know" he answered in an awed tone as he laid Mikie down in the old crib that Uncle Darry had brought out of the basement for Mikie. He picked up my bag and we went out to the car.

The drive was nice and quite all the way to Soda's house. Only Patrick and Cola talked while Uncle Soda and Aunt Rachel held hands. There was a lot of trees and old building on the way and some guy walking down the street smoking a cigarette. Then Soda did something funny, he pulled over to the guy and rolled down the window.

"Hey, Adam." Soda greeted him in a cheery tone. The guy smiled and put out his cigarette.

"Hey Soda, Whats up Cola?" he asked

"Not much man, you hear what the Valance twins did to the school gym?" Cola started laughing

"Yeah, they spray painted over the loin and painted a set of DD's over it!" he started to bust up laughing and so did Cola, Aunt Rachel just put her head in her hands. Soda was trying very hard to be the mature one and not laugh but he was failing miserably, he finally gave up and started to crack up. Patrick just looked confused since he didn't know what a pair of DD's are and that is how it's going to stay as long as me and dad can help it.

After 4 minutes of laughter Soda finally said good night to Adam and drove on.

"Who was that?" I asked Cola

"Adam Sheppard, he's Tim Sheppard's kid, well I guess you don't know who he is." He answered me.

"Yeah, I heard of Tim Sheppard. He was a buddy of your guy's gang when you were kids, right Uncle Soda?" I asked. Dad had told me some stories of the gang that were, according to my mom, age appropriate. One story involved the Sheppard boys and something about a telephone pole, he told me this story when I was about 9, so I didn't remember it very well.

"Yep, man more than half of the trouble we got in as kids involved those Sheppard boys or their crew." He laughed shaking his head at the same time.

"They had their own crew? Like a gang or something?" asked excited Patrick. Being 7, anything that involved violence, Patrick was all ears.

"Yeah, little buddy, they had their own gang. There use to be other gangs, too. But there aren't any more though. Which is probably a good thing." He said as we pulled up to his house. We got out of the car, got our bags, and went up to the house. It was a nice house with a good feel to it, it felt really homey.

"Alright" said Soda "Cola Pat is bunking with you and you get the guest bed down the hall next to Cola's room. Lights out in 30 minutes, guys." He took mine and Pats bags to our rooms and Cola bumped on the couch waving a hand for me to join him. I went over to the couch and sat down. Cola put his arm around me and normally I would have kneed a guy for doing that but with Cola I knew it was only cousinly.

"So, the family freak you out a bit?" he asked

"Huh, uh, kinda. Darry is freakin' huge and Eric needs to keep flirting with me. I have a boyfriend, and I really like him." I said.

"Really, ya got a boyfriend? What's he like? He ugly?" he asked and teased me.

"No, he isn't ugly!" I laughed "He plays basketball, has a B average, and he has beautiful chocolate skin." I clicked my tongue at the last word. Normally people overreact when they find out my boyfriend is black. I honestly wouldn't care if Julius was blue, I would still love him. He has always treated me good and better than any other guy I've went out with. I know some people in south have issues with colored people, but I don't care and neither does my Dad.

"So, he's black. I can respect that." He said seriously.

"Does anyone in our family have problems with black people?" I asked in hopes that they didn't. "Nope, not really. I don't anyway, and neither does my old man." He said carefully

Aunt Rachel came into the room and told us lights out. So we bid each other good night and went to our rooms. I stripped out of my day clothes and changed into my pjs. Normally I would just sleep in my underwear and a tee-shirt, but tonight I would have to wear pajama bottoms too. That always sucked. I always get hot when I sleep and end up just kicking the pants off in the middle of the night. I can't do that tonight, again it sucks. I got the bottoms on and pulled back the sheets on the bed .

I layed awake there thinking about things that I now always think about in the night. Where is Mom now and does she blame me for her death? Does Dad? How will we explain what happened to Mom to Mikie. Heck, even Patrick doesn't really understand what happened to her. He still has one thing that I truly envy him for, innocence. If I still had innocence, I wouldn't blame myself for Mom's death, I would have listened to the officers at the gas station and not seen my dead mother looking up at the sky with no life in her eyes, and _I _wouldn't know what DD's where either. I was still thinking of these things as I fell into a fitful sleep.

Cola's POV

I was waken up by a piercing scream. I realized that it was from the guest room. J.D. I ran to her room and found her sitting up in the bed shaking and crying. I went over to her and held her. She buried her face in my shoulder and I held her tighter. I started to sush her gently and started stroking her brown-blond hair when Dad walked in. He walked over to the bed and took J.D out of my arms and his. He stroked her hair and held her like I did until she fell back asleep.

He layed her back down on the bed and put the covers back over her. He motioned me to follow him out of the room. When we were out of the bedroom and went into the kitchen. "What was that about?" I asked. "I have never seen people have nightmares like that. Only in like movies and stuff."

Dad sighed and sat on the counter. "Ponyboy said she started having nightmares like that since her mom died. Normally it's just her tossing in her bed and talking in her sleep, but sometimes she wakes up screaming or in a cold sweat. Your Uncle said that they have stopped happening so often and only happen once a week, but I guess not." He sighed again "Poor kid."

"How did you know what to do when you saw her, I mean, you acted like you've done it a million times?" I asked. The only reason I did what I did was because I didn't know what else to do.

"Ponyboy use to have nightmares like hers when our parents died. He was the same age J.D is when our parents died. I just realized that, Connie died when J.D was 13 and our Mom and Dad died when Pony was 13 too, uh." He said. Sometimes Dad will talk about things that will make other people uncomfortable. Mom said that happened after the war.

"Go back to sleep, son. We have to get up early for the big trip!" And with that he jumped off the counter, patted me on the back and went back to his and Mom's room. I took his advice and went back to my room. I checked on J.D and she was sleeping peacefully. I smiled as she yawned in her sleep. I went into my room and layed down on the floor since I let Patrick have the bed. It was fine with me to sleep on the floor, I just get to show off my fort making skills. And was I good! I smiled to myself and feel back to sleep.


	7. Coffee and the Fedal Position

**O.K you brats you guys still have failed to tell me about the disclaimer. So here it is I do not own the Outsiders S.E Hinton does. Now back to the story. Chapter 7.**

Darry's POV

_Beep, Beep, Beep _goes the alarm. I groan and turn to see what time it is. 6:35 a.m. I get up and kiss Lizzy on her forehead. She moans and tells me to go away. Lizzy and Shynee are not morning people. I walk out of mine and Liz's room to find Ponyboy awake drinking coffee and holding the baby in his free hand.

"Morning, Darry. You want coffee?" he asks putting his mug in the sink.

"Morning to you too. Yeah sure I like some. What you doing up so early, anyway?" I ask. Pony wasn't a morning person either. So I was surprised to see him up. I guess he has changed a lot. Then I wanted to kick myself. Of course he has changed, his wife had just died, bought his own house, had three kids, and he is a freakin' doctor. I guess he turned out alright.

"Being on the morning shift at the hospital makes you a morning person." He said simply, and sipped on his coffee. Then Mikie started to stir and cry. Ponyboy smiled at his son and set my coffee on the counter. "Hey little guy, you have a nice sleep?" he said in a gentle soft voice. "Your sissy is at your Uncle Soda's house, so you're stuck with me." He joked bouncing Mikie in his arms.

"Johnny the one who wakes him up in the morning?" I asked taking my mug off the counter and sipping on the hot liquid.

"Yeah, most of the time. Connie use to wake the kids up in the morning cause I would be at the hospital. But after, _it _happened, I woke the morning after her funeral and there's J.D in the kitchen making breakfast and puttin' Mikie in his highchair. I ask her what's going on and she just tells me to sit down and eat my breakfast. Ever since then she's been doing Connie's job for me. She reminds me a lot of you, growing up before her time." He sighed.

Just then I heard a car pull in and I saw Soda pulling up and the kids getting out of the car. Cola talking a mile a minute to J.D and Patrick is helping Soda put the bags into the R-V. J.D and Cola walk into the house and he runs to me.

"Uncle Darry! I missed you so much!" he says hugging me. I roll my eyes and pull Cola off of my chest and playfully slap the back of his head. "Uh, OW!" he says rubbing his head. J.D laughs at him, and Pony is trying not to laugh. I think this trip is going to do him and J.D good.

Kevin's POV

"Kevin, get up. We got to go Darry's right now we're leaving in 5 minutes. You packed last night, like I told you to, right?" Dad asked. Oh, no, I didn't pack.

"Yeah, Dad, I packed. I'll be out in a minute. Dad left the room, and I started to stuff whatever clothes I could find into my suitcase. "Kevin, hurry up!" called Dad. "Coming Dad!" I hollered back running out of my room still in my boxers carrying my bag. I get outside and find Dad at the car smoking.

"Uh, Kev, Bud you forget something there?" he asks me smirking.

"Yes, I realize the fact that I am in my underwear. I'll just change when we get to Darry's." I said getting in the car. Dad followed suit. He started the car and started driving and turned to talk to me.

"Look, kiddo, when we're on the road you just can't walk around in your boxers. We have a girl coming with us and it's not some girl you can hit on either. J.D is Ponyboy's girl and you and the other guys need to be on your best behavior." I start to argue about to say that I can control myself but he interrupts me. "And Eric is getting the same talk too. You and Cola need to keep him under control. He's just like his father, can't keep his…"

Beep! "You jerk watch were the hell you're going!" Yells the guy that Dad almost rear ended.

"You watch were your going!" yells Dad passing the guy and driving even faster. I hate driving with Dad. He's a freaking manic! I'm deeply concerned for my safety when I drive with him. I remember one time when I was 8 when me and Dad were driving home from school and he thought it would be funny to cut off this guy who was about ready to turn, and he ended up T-boning him. I remember how mad Mom was when she meet us at the hospital finding out I had a broken arm. Thanks Dad.

When we get to Darry's I find Cola and Shynee packing up the R-V and Ponyboy and Aunt Lizzy drinking coffee. "Hey, hey, hey!" Dad says in his Mickey Mouse voice. I roll my eyes and sign. The man is 38 years old and he still is in love with that stupid rat. Me, I prefer Scooby-Doo.

"Hey, Ponyboy, I have a idea" says Dad putting his arm around Ponyboy. "You and me need to go to Buck's, split us a Jack Daniel's, and spend the rest of the day in Dreamland." He finished laughing crazily. Ponyboy just rolled his eyes and slapped the back of Dad's head. Dad gets more abused by his buddies than Mom. I think it's funny.

Darry, Lizzy, Soda, and J.D holding her brother, walk out of the house going towards the camper. "Alright, time to hit the road!" Darry shouts. "Uncle Darry! What did the road ever do to you!" shouts Cola in a shocked voice. Then Soda slaps the back of Cola's head. What a loving family we have. J.D gives the baby to her Dad and follows us into the R-V.

Shay, Cola, J.D, Patrick, and Me get in the R-V and sit down in the kitchen area and J.D starts to stare at me. "Forget something there sports star?" she asks in the same smart ass tone that Cola has. "Yeah I'm going to go put my pajama pants on." I leave the room and come back in with pants on. "Where's Eric?" asks Shynee. Just then we hear Steve's car zooming down the road and the car coming to a screeching stop. "There here." Say Cola and runs out to greet his best friend. Like father like son. Eric and Cola come back in the R-V and Eric turns to greet J.D, who looks like she would knee him if he tried flirting with her again. "I would just like to say that I deeply apologize for my behavior yesterday." He starts, J.D looking like she's not believing a word of it. "I did not know you had a boyfriend, and I would also like to start over." He finishes his apology extending his hand. J.D hesitates but takes his hand and shakes it. Right before she pulls away from the handshake Eric kisses her hand. J.D knees him and Eric falls to the floor groaning going into the fedal position. "Eric got beat up by a girl, again!" I start cracking up with laughter and I fall to the floor.

Dad, Steve, Soda, Ponyboy holding the baby, and Darry get in the R-V stepping over me and Eric not wanting to know what's going on. "Alright lets go." Darry says starting up the R-V and driving down the road. Here we go.


	8. Ways to get Kicked out of WalMart

**Hi, thank you for the reviews and comments. Sorry it's been so long since I updated but I've been working on my other story and thinking of starting a new one. It will be Pony runs away story but it won't copy any other stories like that. Tell me what you think. So here's Chapter what are we on 8? Yes Chapter 8.**

J.D POV

We left the house around 8 and left Oklahoma around 11. Now we're in Kansas and Kevin is yelling out the window at random drivers. Cola, Eric, Soda, Steve, and Two-Bit think it's hilarious so Cola and Eric join him. Darry looks like he's starting to regret this idea when Kevin yells out the window "Hey, Hey you be sexy!" to a pedestrian at the Wal-Mart.

Darry pulls in and turns around to me, Cola, and Kevin. "You guys go in the store and get what's on this list while the rest of us get directions." He says handing us the list. "And do not come back here with the manager saying you're not allowed back in there again." He adds. Ok, he would only say that if it was a reoccurring issue with them. I guess that is why I'm going with them.

We go into the Wal-Mart and I can already tell that we're going to get kicked out. Kevin gets a cart and looks at the list. Cola goes to the clothes aisle with a devil smile on his face.

"What? Darry didn't put Oreo's on here! Is he drunk? Come on J.D we are getting us some Oreo's." he grabbed my and went to the snack aisle.

"Kevin, Darry said to get only what's on the list. We can't get Oreos." I start to walk away with the cart but Kevin grabs the cart.

"No, we are getting Oreo's." he pulled on the cart and I pulled harder.

"No, we are getting what's on the list." I try to get Kevin and the cart away from the cookies but then Kevin did something so embarrassing I still cannot eat Oreos without thinking of this moment.

Kevin jumped in the cart and said very loudly "I want Oreos Johnny! Let me get the Oreos!"

"Kevin get out of the cart now!" I whispered yelled. "You're making a scene. Get out of the freakin' cart now!"

"But I want Oreos!" he started to pretend to cry. I left to find Cola as soon as I saw the manager coming toward us. I walked to the clothes aisle and started calling for Cola.

"Cola! I need your help with Kevin." I heard a giggle coming from a women's shirt rack and looked inside of it.

"Boo!" said the rack and I jumped back.

"Cola get your ass out of there and help me with Kevin." I said trying to pull him out but he was stronger than me and pulled me in.

"What the hell are you doing?" I whispered to him in the darkness.

"Just be quite and watch this." He whispered back as some old lady came to look at the shirts. She started pulling some out and Cola said "Pick me, Pick me!" The women jumped back and looked at the rack again. She started to grab at the shirts again then stopped after Cola said "Ouch, quit pulling at me!" the lady screamed and ran off to find a worker. Cola and me started to bust up laughing.

"Oh my God! Did you see her face!" he laughed whipping a tear from his eye. "Come on we gotta get out of here before management comes." He grabs my hand and we walk off to find Kevin.

"Do you guys normally do this kind of stuff?" I ask as I lead Cola to the snack aisle.

"Yeah, that's why we aren't allowed back in Tulsa Wal-Mart without supervision."

We find Kevin being scolded by a manager and then the guy turns to me. "Are you in charge of your brother, miss?" he asks me. I look at Kevin and he mouths "I said I was handicapped."

"Um, Yes I'm sorry, sir. I left him here after I thought I left my purse in the restroom. It won't happen again." I lie. I can lie good to people when I need to.

"That's fine, miss, Just finish your shopping and keep him in line." He says then leaves us.

"You told him you were handicapped?!" I nearly screamed

"I didn't want to get kick out." He answered simply.

I made both him and Cola hold onto the cart until we were done shopping. We checked out and went to meet the rest of the guys in the parking lot.

"What took you guys so long?" asked Steve

"Nothing, just a long line at the register." Said glaring at Cola and Kevin.

"You two didn't do anything stupid did you?" asked Uncle Darry to Cola and Kevin.

"No Uncle Darry. Do you see a manager with us saying we are not allowed back in here without supervision, no, you do not." Said Cola loading up the R-V. Those two are such liars!

**Alright, that's the end of Chapter 8. And before anyone asks the Oreos thing and the clothes rack thing were from personal experience. And yes we got out of trouble by saying we were handicapped. I love you Mika and Johnna! Forever Oreos!**


	9. Fighting and Turkey

Chapter 9

J.D's POV

After we got back on the road me and Shynee started playing Go Fish. Shynee was winning and I was losing miserably. Cola and Eric were playing paper football, Dad and Soda began to talk about the 'good old days', Darry was driving, and Steve and Two-Bit were looking at the map. Mikie was sitting in my lap and Pat was sitting on Shynee's.

"Go any 6's" he asked sounding bored.

"Crap." I said looking at my cards and finding two 6's. "Here, take the stupid cards." I handed the cards to Shynee. He smiled and put the pair in his row of pairs. Then he looked at me.

"Do you want to quit?" he asked putting down his cards.

"Yes, man I'm bored." I said putting my cards down as well.

Mike started to cry so I bounced him on my knee till he went to sleep. It's weird that he does that, all you have to do is put him in a sitting position and he'll fall asleep. When Patrick was a baby it toke hours to get him to sleep. Mikie is a good baby. I carefully moved Mikie so he was lying in my arms then toke him into the back of the R-V where there was a bed. I didn't realize that Eric had followed me in here so I jumped when he put a blanket over my brother.

"It's cold back here" he whispered. "Thought he could use a blanket."

"Thanks" I whispered "I guess you aren't as much of a jerk as I thought you were."

"I ain't all bad." He whispered back looking at Mike "Man, he looks a lot like Soda."

"He also looks like my Dad." I said in my normal level of loudness. Eric looked at me and then at my brother. "Don't worry, when he's out he's out."

"Alright, so Cola told me you had a boyfriend, what's he like?" he asked.

"Didn't Cola tell you about, Julius? " I asked

"Yeah, but I want to hear about him from you, so what's he like?"

"He's smart, funny, gentle, plays basketball, and he likes The Eagles." I finished looking at Eric. Why would he care about Julius? It's not like he's ever going to meet him. I'm really starting to miss Julius, I miss hearing his deep voice telling me that he loves me and him holding me in his strong muscle arms kissing my cheek. I need to call him and talk to him like we said we would the day we left for the trip. Dad really liked Julius, mostly because of his good grades and manners.

"So I guess you really like him, uh. By the sound of it he really likes you too." Eric interrupts my thoughts.

"Why do you care so much about this?" I ask him sitting on the bed being careful of the baby.

"I know how guys can be jerks. Girls get their hearts broken all the time and I know it hurts." He says sincerely sitting down on the bed next to me.

"Ok since when did you become Mr. Giveacrap? Last I checked you were the jerk who kept flirting with me since I got here." I snapped at him.

"Hey, hey! I was just being stupid. I wouldn't have done that if I knew about James."

"His name is Julius and why should I believe you anyway?!" I nearly yelled at him.

"Because you're Cola's kid cousin and I ain't that much of a jerk." He snapped at me now.

"Could have fooled me." I said walking out of the room. Cola was sitting on the table where we are suppose to eat in 30 minutes. Crap I said I would make lunch and I need to start making it. I move past Cola when he moves into a seductive pose to annoy me.

"Do you find this attractive?" he asks with a serious face.

"Oh yeah, I think it's sexy." I say sarcastically rolling my eyes and washing my hands. "Get your butt over here and help me with this."

"Fine, so did Eric talk to you?" he asks washing his hands. "I told him that you had a boyfriend and that he needed to lay off. Look he may seem like a jerk, but he's a real nice guy when you get to know him. He just doesn't really give the greatest first impression. Just get to know him, shorty, your gonna have to."

"And why do have to get to know Eric?" I ask

"Because you're going to be living with him for a month." He states getting the plates out.

Crap I didn't think about that.

Shynee POV

After J.D left to put the baby in the bedroom I started to clean up the cards then went over to Kevin and Cola who were talking to Eric then Eric went to follow J.D. I started to follow him then Cola stopped me. I gave him a look. We all had seen Eric flirting with J.D and it was bothering not only her, but the rest of us. Eric can be a flirt when it came to pretty girls. I not saying that me and the rest of the gang aren't, but we are not as bad as Eric.

"Its fine, Shay," he says "He's just going talk to her. Me and Kevin set him straight. Don't be overprotective, Shynee."

"I'm not over protective, Coke-a-Cola" I started "I'm just making sure that Eric is behaving himself." Then Dad came over to us and I looked at him.

"Hey Dad, who's driving the R-V?" I ask him looking at the driver seat.

"Two-Bit is. Where's Eric and Johnny?" he asks looking around for them.

"In the bedroom in the back." Kevin said without thinking what it would sound like. Dad gave a look of anger and discuss as he started for the bedroom. I stopped him before he could get to the door.

"It not like that, Dad. Their just talking, besides Mikie in there too." I reassured him.

"Alright, you wanna come drive for awhile? Two-Bit keeps complaining about how lumpy the seat is." He asks me.

"Yeah sure, I need something to do." I said going up to the front and walked up to Two-Bit. Here's the thing about driving with Keith Matthews, when you have to take over driving for him, make sure that the car is stopped. I had him pull over so we could switch. I was driving for 20 minutes when Cola came up to me.

"Hey you want a sandwich?" he asks me.

"Sure, but can I eat while I drive?" I ask not taking my eyes off the road.

"I guess so. You want turkey or ham?" Coal asks.

"Turkey, with mustard and cheese." I tell him.

"Ok, I'll tell J.D. Oh wait I can't tell her, because I don't won't too." He yelled at me and then ran off. I shook my head and looked at the road again. My family has some of the strangest people in it. After another 5 minutes J.D came back with my sandwich in one hand and the baby in another. Man does that baby look like Dad. Mikie is gurgling in the crock of her elbow. She smiles at me when she sees me.

"Here's your lunch, Shay." She says putting the sandwich on my lap. I take one hand off the wheel and stuff half of the sandwich in my mouth.

"Fanks." I say with the food in my mouth making the words out of my mouth sounding weird.

She laughs at me. "No problem." Mikie laughs and tries to sit up in her arms but fails. He keeps gurgling and starts to pull on the necklace draped on J.D's neck. "No, baby, you can't have that. That's mine." She says patting his back.

"I thought he was sleeping." I said finishing my lunch.

"He doesn't sleep very long." She says leaving me with my thoughts. Ok, now where's the map?


	10. Being 7 stinks

**Sorry for the long update. I do not own the Outsiders, S.E Hinton does.**

Chapter 10

Patrick's POV

J.D seemed really mad and so does Eric, but he is showier with what he's mad about, he's mad at J.D. He and J.D won't look at each other or even talk to each other, unless it's in front of the grown-ups because they don't want them to know what's going on. After we ate lunch Uncle Darry drove into a R-V stop. I got out and so did Cola and Shynee. They started talking about J.D and Eric so I wanted to hear what they were saying.

I went up to them. They were sitting on one of those old wooden park tables that had a whole bunch of writing and drawings on them. "Whatca doing?" I asked them. They looked up surprised that I was there.

Shynee was the one to answer me. "Hey, kiddo, why don't you go play with Kevin or Two-Bit?" he asks me rubbing my head like a puppy. I walk away and roll my eyes. I hate it when kids that are older than me do that. J.D's boyfriend Julius does that sometimes when he and J.D are in her room making out. Every time I catch them macking either J.D or Julius gives me a dollar to keep my mouth shut to Dad.

I go back into the R-V to see f I can find someone to play with. Uncle Darry and Sodapop are playing poker and drinking beers. Two-Bit and Steve are arm wrestling over who has to drive tomorrow. When I find J.D she's sitting with Mikie feeding him a bottle.

"Hey little brother." She says to me smiling. I like when J.D smiles she looks like Mama. I really miss my mom sometimes, but I guess that J.D is like my mom and my sister at the same time.

"Hey sissy, is Mikie almost asleep?" I ask her gently touching his cheek.

"Yeah just about. Are you having fun one the trip? How's your stomach?" she asks me.

"Yeah my stomach feels fine, and this trip is pretty fun so far. Why won't you and Eric look at each other? Are you mad or something?" I ask her. I've been wondering about this so awhile and I wanted some answers.

"It's big kid stuff, baby, don't worry about it." She tells me. Mikie starts to cry and she turns to him forgetting about me. I like my baby brother and all but I hate it when I get ignored because of him. I rolled my eyes again and leave my sister and baby brother to find Kevin and Eric, maybe they will tell me what the heck is going on.

When I find them they are having a wrestling each other in the backroom. Kevin had Eric in a headlock but Eric turned quickly and had Kevin quickly in a full-nelson. Eric was choking the heck out of Kevin who looked as blue as the sky.

"Come on man, I got you down, just Tap-out!" Eric tells Kevin who looks like he's about ready to pass out.

Kevin takes a deep breath and squeaks out. "Ne-v-er." Then Kevin passes out. Eric laughs at him then looks at me with a surprised look on his face.

"Hey there, kiddo, when did you get here?" he asks me as he slings Kevin over his shoulder laying him on the bed letting his head fall off the edge of the bed.

"Shouldn't you make sure he's ok?" I ask him looking at Kevin drooling upside-down on his nose.

"Nah, he'll be alright. He'll wake up in about 10 minutes and whine about this for a day then get over it." He says sitting on the bed, he pats the bed inviting me to sit next to him. I sit down next to him being careful of Kevin's head.

"Hey what are you and J.D fighting about?" I ask him.

"Me and your sister just had a little argument about things, don't worry about it kid." He says ruffling my hair and walking out of the room. I groan and flop down on the bed. Why won't anybody tell me what's going on!

**Sorry for it being a long time since update and it being so short, but I wanted one Chapter just to be in Patrick's POV. Read and review, they give me happiness in my heart!**


	11. Strawberry Ice Cream with Kevin

**Sorry for the long up-date. Enjoy the story!**

Chapter 11

J.D's POV

After I got the baby to sleep I went outside to help Uncle Darry with dinner. We were having barbeque and strawberry ice cream. The other guys were playing football. Me and Darry were getting along better now that he's stopped calling me Johnny so much. I mean I like my name and all, but the guys at school call me butch enough already and it doesn't help when the teachers call me Johnny Dallas at school. Julius calls me Johnny when he wants to get a rise out of me and then I call him by his real name, which is Julian, which gets him to shut up.

"J.D hand me that plate will ya?" Uncle Darry asks me. The R-V stop we parked at has grills around the picnic areas and little fire pits to roast marshmallows and hotdogs.

"Sure, Uncle Dare." I say handing him the plate.

"So, are you enjoying the boys company?" he asks me raising an eyebrow.

"Um…well…their um….." I stammer. What can I say? I only have been with the boys for a day and I think that they've given me an ulcer.

Uncle Darry starts to laugh. "I'm kidding dear, I know that the boys don't give the greatest first impression. Just give them a few days they'll warm up to you so enough." He tells me patting me on the back.

_Yeah, right_ I think putting the burgers on the plate.

"Dinner's ready!" Uncle Darry calls out to the guys. I put the plate with the burgers on it on the picnic table grabbing one before eight huge guys pounce on the plate devouring the burgers.

I smile at them then go over to the R-V and lean against it thinking of the two guys in that picture at Uncle Darry's house. Who are they? I wish I would have taken the picture out of the frame to see if there was writing on the back saying who everybody was. That one kid with the scar on his face had this scared look on his face that made me feel like I should give the kid a hug or something. Dad would have told me who they were, I mean he told me everything. That other kid had this mean tough look on his face that said "Piss me off and I'll rip your heart out then put it in a meat grinder."

"Hey, J.D, you wanna bowl of ice cream?" Kevin's question breaks thru my thoughts.

"Yeah sure. Thanks Kevin." I say walking back to the table. Kevin scoops me up two scoops of strawberry ice cream then hands the bowl to me.

"Here you go kid." He says.

"Thanks. Hey Kevin you know that old picture with all our parents in it when they were our age in Uncle Darry's house?" I ask him being careful as I say this.

"Um…Sure yeah. The one in Soda and Ponyboy's old room?" he asks while slurping up the remaining ice cream in his bowl.

"Yeah that one. The two other guys in it…."

"Hey kids, time to get to bed! We got to get up at five in the morning." Shouts Steve in the R-V.

"Why the hell do we have to get up at that ungodly hour?" shouts Kevin back at Steve.

"Look I'm not happy with it either but Darry said we have to, so whine to him, not me." Steve says closing the door to the R-V.

"It's not even nine yet. Let's get inside, before all the good carpet is taken." Kevin tells me putting his arm around me. I roll my eyes and think of those two kids in that picture, for some reason it was really bothering me.

When me and Kevin set up our make-shift beds Cola, Shynee, and Eric come in and make theirs. Cola made his next to mine and smiled at me.

"Hey J.D, would you mind sharing your blanket with me? I didn't know that we were short on them."

"You know you should at least buy me dinner first." I joke with him like he did earlier with me with his stupid pose.

"Oh shut up." He laughs hitting me playfully with his pillow .I hand him half my blanket and scoot closer to him to get more blanket. We lay there just listing to the crickets chirping and the other R-V's pulling out of the park. Shay, Kevin, and Eric have already fallen asleep and snoring loudly. Cola hits Eric with a pillow to try to get him to stop but Eric just grunts and rolls over on his side.

"I swear, if a tornado went thru the park right now he would still be asleep." Cola mutters sleepily.

I decide that now would be the best time to ask him about the two boys in the picture. I mean, Cola would tell me, me and him have gotten pretty close.

"Hey Cola?" I whisper to him I in the darkness.

"Yeah?" he whispers back to me.

"In Darry's house, there's this picture of our parents when they were kids. There are these two kids in that picture one of them has a scar on his face and the other one looks like some kinda hood. Who are they?" I ask him.

"Oh, that's Johnny Cade and Dallas Winston. They were part of our parent's gang, but one night Uncle Ponyboy and Johnny went for a walk and a couple of rich kids tried to drown your dad and Johnny stabbed him. They went to a place called Windrixville and then Dallas came to see them. Long story short, there was a fire Johnny was killed then Dallas got upset and got himself killed the same night. Didn't your dad ever tell you about them? I mean he named you after them, why wouldn't he tell you who they were?" he asks me.

"I don't know. Anyway, thanks Cola. 'Night" I say turning on my side trying to act tired.

"Alright, goodnight." He says falling asleep.

'Why wouldn't Dad tell me' is the last thought I have before I fall asleep.

**Thanks for the reviews, reviews make me smile! So give me more reviews PLEASE!**


	12. Eggs and Tears

**I don't own the Outsiders, S.E Hinton does.**

Chapter 12

Eric's POV

"Eric get up." Cola says before smacking me in the face with a pillow.

"Ouch! I'm up, alright, I'm up!" I shout as I jump up and scowl at Cola.

"Come on, Sunshine, time for breakfast." He says pulling me to the table. I sit down and look outside and it's still dark outside. I sigh and begin to really hate Darry. He's the only one who would do this to people on vacation. He was a tyrant. The rest of the guys are eating outside since it's so humid in here, but I don't care, I was too tired to care.

"Morning Eric, how do you like your eggs?" I look up and see J.D looking down at me holding a frying pan with scrambled and sunny-side-up eggs. J.D is smiling softly at me her eyes, for the first time, are not full of resentment and hatred, but now they shine and laugh at me.

"Um…scrambled." I said a little confused. She scoops me up some eggs and puts them on my plate I didn't know that was in front of me.

"There you go." She says looking at me.

"Thanks, J.D." I say looking at her still confused.

"I wanted to apologize for what I said the other day. I didn't mean what I said the other day, I was just mad. I mean I know that you can be a nice guy and all, when you're not being a jackass." She says smirking at me. I smile at her and take a bite of my eggs.

"Umm…These are good! Did you make these?" I ask her. The eggs are great; they are spicy and cheesy and sweat all at the same time.

"Yeah, it's my mom's recipe. She was a great cook." She said sitting next to me taking a sunny-side-up egg out of the pan.

"What was your mom like? I mean you never seem to talk about her." I ask her eating more of the eggs. J.D takes a deep breath and looks down.

"Oh, look kid, I didn't mean to…." I start wanting to make her feel better. Soda told us what had happened to her mom, and what J.D saw at the crime scène. I didn't want to make her sad.

"No, its fine it's just that I don't like to talk about the accident." She says quietly. The look in her eyes change from the happy look that they had in them to a kind of lost look.

"I don't want to know about accident, just about her." I ask her gently.

"She was amazing, she was my best friend, and everything to Dad. I kinda look like her, according to Dad and my Aunt Gracie. Gracie is my mom's sister, she lived with us after _it _happened but she moved out last month. Mom had my color hair and she could fix anything. The way she would dress was so out of style, but looked so good in those clothes that nobody ever thought a thing about it. She would read to Patrick and Mikie every night and would dye my hair different colors in the summer." She starts to laugh.

"Last summer she dyed the tips purple and the middle green then the top black. Dad hated it but me and mom loved it. She loved to do hair and use to do hair for people's weddings and parties and stuff. She was beautiful and was always laughing and smiling. She loved to sing and play the guitar. She could understand anybody and got along with everybody. She made us go to church every Sunday, she even made Dad which his shift at the hospital so he had to go. She love Julius and made him stay for dinner every time he came over. She was always bugging Dad to go visit Darry and Soda. She loved his side of the family even though it's so small. Me and her were real close, we never fought. We were really close." She whispered the last words and looked away from me so I can't see her cry.

I scoot closer to her and put my arm around her. She puts her head on my shoulder and cries quietly. I hold her for a while and think about what would happen to me if Cola of Darry walked in here right now. She stops crying and looks at me.

"So we good now?" she asks me.

"Yeah we're good now."

**Sorry for the long up date. Please review!**


	13. Remembering and Sleep

**Thanks for the reviews, especially those who have been reviewing from the start. You guys are great! So here we go!**

Chapter 13

Ponyboy's POV

At the beginning of the trip, the days seemed to drag out, but know that we are on the third week of this adventure the days are going too fast. I've missed my family more than I thought I did. And now that all the kids seem to be getting along, it's making the trip so much easier.

Cola and J.D have really seemed to bond, kinda the same way me and Sodapop do. They bond together so well for two people who have such different personalities. Cola is energetic and outgoing while my daughter is quiet and shy. Sure, she is more like herself now that she's more comfortable around the boy's, but she is still very shy.

J.D and Shynee have the kind of relationship that me and Darry had before our folks died. Shay teases her and will fling her over his shoulder like she's a sack of flour, while she will call him fat and put stuff in his food. It's a love hate relationship.

Kevin is becoming another brother to her, he protects her and gives her and Patrick. And gives them piggyback rides. Kevin picks on her like the other guys do and messes up her hair to annoy her.

I'm worried about Eric and her though; they spend a lot of time together and hang out more with each other than with the rest of the group. J.D hasn't called Julius either. It's a good thing that one of the stops on the trip is in St. Louis. I need to see some of my patients and catch up on paperwork. J.D is excited to see Julius and Gracie. Patrick wants to see his friends and show Shynee the arch. Soda and Darry can't wait to see my sister-in-law again, mostly because of her good cooking. I just want to sleep in my own bed.

I guess this trip has been good for me and the kids. I haven't thought of Connie that much and J.D has been smiling a lot more now. Pat has been more of his goofball self, and even little Mikie has been happier. I love spending time with my brothers and I'm even thinking about moving us down to Tulsa. I want the kids to live closer to their family. The only family we really have in Missouri is Grace and Connie's parents.

"Hey, Pony." I look over to Darry who is driving.

"What?" I ask him sitting up in my chair.

"We just passed the 'Welcome to Missouri' sign. Which road do I take to get to St. Louis?" he asks me.

"Here, let me drive. I know how to get there. Go and get some sleep." I tell him standing up. It was about 2oclock in the morning and Darry has been driving all day. He nods, pats me on the back, pulls over, and goes back to the tiny bedroom to sleep. I start driving again and J.D comes up to me sleepily.

"Hey baby. What are you doing up?" I ask her patting my knee so she can sit on my lap as I drive. She sits on my lap and puts her head on my shoulder.

"Can't sleep." She says. I nod and kiss her forehead. We drive in silence for another 20 miles. I rub J.D's arm and yawn.

"Daddy?" she says. J.D only calls me 'daddy' when she wants something or is sucking up to me.

"Yes baby?" I ask her sweetly. It isn't often that J.D calls me daddy, and I wanted to make this last as long as it could.

"Why did you name me Johnny Dallas?" she asks me. I sigh.

I still haven't told my children about Johnny and Dally. I've avoided the subject so that me and my family could break all ties with Tulsa. When I got married to Connie Darry didn't approve because we were only 18 at the time and he thought we were too young to be married. So me and Connie left Tulsa and moved in with her parents in St. Louis. I called Soda after about a year and Darry apologized about what he said. I went to college in Missouri and we had J.D when we were 25. After Patrick was born Soda, Darry , and their families came up here to meet my kids.

"Because, I had two very good friends that died when I was about your age that deserved someone to carry on their memory." I tell her.

"How did they die?" she asks.

"There was a fire and Johnny got hurt and passed away from his injuries. The only thing that Dally loved was Johnny and he couldn't take his passing, so he got himself killed." I tell her remembering Dallas holding up the gun and the police shooting him down.

"That's sad" she says as she falls asleep on my lap. I kiss her on her temple and keep on driving. After about another hour I see the St. Louis sign and smile. Welcome home.

J.D's POV

"J.D, wake up babe, come on Johnny were home." I hear my dad say. I open my eyes and realize that I'm still sitting on his lap.

"Wh…What?" I ask confused with sleep.

"We're home. Get Mikie out of his car seat, would ya?" he asks as I hop out of his lap.

"Yeah yeah sure." I say rubbing my eyes walking to Mikie kicking Kevin in his side.

"11!" he screams bolting up looking wide eyed.

"Wake up, Kev. We're at my house." I tell him trying not to wake Michel.

"Oh…okay." He says walking out of the R-V. The other guys must have been woken up by Uncle Darry because they were all hoping out of the R-V and into the house. I pick up my sleeping brother and carefully walk out of the R-V to see Darry carrying Patrick. Darry smiles at me and I smile back.

We walk into the house and I go put Mikie in his crib. I kiss him on the forehead and walk back down stairs. Kevin, Eric, and Cola are passed out on the fold-out couch and Darry is sleeping on the recliner. I go to the kitchen to see Dad, Soda, Steve, Two-Bit and Shynee sitting at the table talking. I smile and sit on my dad's lap.

"Daddy?" I ask him in my sweetest voice.

"Yes dear." He says knowing that I'm sucking up to him.

"Would you mind very much if I went to go see Julius tomorrow?"

"Oh ho ho!" Two-Bit exclaims "What do you say Daddy? Can she go see her hormone raging boyfriend? Who we all know has only one thing on his mind? You know how we were at their age only thinking about…" then I kicked him from under the table. Everybody laughed except for Two-Bit.

"All you do is hurt me!" he cries. "Ever since the day we first meet! You and that stupid wooden spoon!" he says.

"Yes J.D you can go. Just call me if you want a ride home okay?" he says.

"Yeah okay. Thanks Dad!" I say getting off his lap and going upstairs. I go to my room and lay down on my bed and just think how nice it is to be back home.

**Sorry for the long update. Please Review!**


	14. Breakups and Best Kisses

**I do not own The Outsiders or its characters. S.E Hinton has that honor.**

Chapter 14

J.D's POV

When I woke up I had to remember where I was. Then last night pops back into my mind and I remember that I'm at home and the guys are asleep downstairs. I get up to go take a shower. I creep down the hall trying not to wake anyone up. When I reach the bathroom I hear footsteps in there. I knock on the door.

"Hold on a minute." I recognize Eric's voice through the door. He comes out with just a towel wrapped around his waist. I try to hid my blush but to no avail. I haven't seen Eric without a shirt on and I didn't realize how finely drawn his body was. There was strong well developed abs and a rock hard six pack.

"Sorry." He says embarrassed tightening the towel around him.

"It's fine." I say going into the bathroom. I undress and hop into the shower. I let the water lessen the tension in my back and relax. I shampoo my hair and wash of my body. The soap gets in my eyes and I get out with the water still running. I rub my eyes with the towel and to my horror Eric's in the bathroom with me. And I am completely naked.

"Eric! What the hell are you doing in here!" I shout and wrap the towel around my body. The towel is a little short and it only goes to the middle of my thighs. Eric quickly turns around and covers his eyes.

"I forgot my cloths in here. I came in here to get them. I thought you wouldn't be done and I wouldn't see you! Why are you naked!" he shouts back.

"I got soap in my eyes!" I shout. "Get out!" Eric feels the bathroom and I get back in the shower. Why does this always to me? I let the water pound on me as I start to think. I imagine Eric playing football and covering Mikie up with that blanket Eric…Wait stop! You do not like Eric! You love Julius and he loves you. Don't you dare cheat on Julius; he has been there for you when Mom died when you and Dad got in fights, and everything else. Don't screw this up or a stupid crush.

I get out of the shower and wrap a towel around me. I open the door and scan the hallway for any of the guys. The only one I see is Patrick, but he's in his room putting on cloths. I go into my room and get ready to see Julius. I dry off my hair reveling its natural curl. I like my hair as it is. I put on my makeup which I haven't worn in so long. It's odd to see it on me again, but I'll get use to it. I put on my blue leggings and black miniskirt with my Michal Jackson tee-shirt. I go downstairs to see everybody else sitting there eating breakfast.

"Morning." I say.

"Morning." Everyone else calls back. I see Eric standing by Cola. I go over to them.

"J.D, I am very sorry. I won't have gone in there if I knew." He says truly sorry.

"Knew what Eric?" Cola asks we ignore him.

"It's fine Eric. Let's just not look at each other for awhile, okay?"

"Yeah, fine." He quickly agrees. I go over and grab some toast.

"Dad, I'm going to head out now if that's okay." I say heading towards the door.

"Alright, be back by dinner time." He calls.

"Love you!" I call heading out the door.

I walk down the street and get a cab. I tell him the address and wait for him to get there. When the rides over I pay the cabby and go knock on the door. Julius's mom answers.

"Oh hello Johnny! How have you been baby?" she says as she hugs me. I hug her back. Connie Adams was a sweet old bird. She loved me and knew my Mom when they were kids.

"Hi Ms. Adams. Is Julius home?" I ask here stepping into the house. The place was old and kinda rundown, but Connie kept it clean and homey-like.

"Yes, dear, he's in his room. Go on ahead and go in there." She says going into the kitchen. I walk down the hall and hear Julius though the door.

"God you taste good." He moans. I open the door and find him and Rachel Freeman on the bed necking.

"Oh, God, J.D what are you doing here!" he nearly yells. I scoff and take off the ring he gave me for Christmas last year. I put it on his dresser and walk out of the house.

I keep walking down the street and keep walking until I get to Forest Park. I sit down on one of the benches and try not to cry. I think of how Julius said that he loved me and that he would never let anything happen to me, but I guess he lied. I guess I feel asleep crying because when I woke up it was nearly noon. I figure that I've mopped enough and start to walk back to my house. After living in St. Louis all my life I know basically every inch of thins city. When I get to my house I realize that I've smeared my makeup and that I look like hell. I hop the fence that leads to the backyard and climb up the fire escape that thankfully goes right into my room. I take off my shoes and jacket and lay down on my bed. I start to cry again and try to stop but I can't control my sobs. I've never been heartbroken before and never knew how much it hurts. I wish my Mom was here.

Eric's POV

I go past J.D's room and hear quiet sobbing coming from inside. I carefully open the door and see J.D weeping on her bed. I close the door quietly behind me and she looks up.

"Oh, Eric. What's up?" She says wiping her eyes trying to get off the smeared makeup covering her face.

"Are you okay?" I ask her going over to her bed and sitting down.

"Not really." She says quietly. I take her hands and look her in the eye.

"What happened?" I ask her. If its that stupid Julius kid making J.D cry like this I'll kill him. After spending so much time with J.D I fell protective of her. She takes a shaky breath and tells her story.

"I went over to Julius's place and I caught him and some girl from my biology class macking in his bedroom. He asked me what the hell I was doing there. So I toke the ring he gave me off and left it there. I went to the park and fell asleep. When I woke up I came back here and started bawling again. I'm so stupid aren't I?" she finishes.

"No, no you ain't stupid J.D. He was the idiot not you. He will never find a girl as funny, beautiful, and amazing as you. You are a great girl, J.D, don't even think different." I tell her. She draws a shaky breath and lays down on the bed. I lay next to her still holding her hand. We lay there you a few minutes looking up at the poster on the ceiling. It's a Eagles poster.

"Eric? Have you ever had your heart broken?" she asks after awhile.

"Yeah, once. It sucked; I didn't want to get out of bed. I know what you're going through." I tell her turning to her. We sit up and she leans up against my chest. I hold her there for about thirty minutes.

She turns to face me and I look her in the eyes. I never thought about how beautiful J.D really was. Her hair was thick and curly, her eyes were shining in the light coming from the window, she was truly the most beautiful girl I have ever meet who is as incredible as J.D. I keep looking in her eyes.

"Hi." She whispers.

"Hey." I whisper back. I don't know what happened next except that our lips were locked together in the best kiss I have ever had.

**Please Review. **


	15. Whiskey, Healing, Sleeping

_I do not own the Outsiders, S.E Hinton does._

Chapter 15

Ponyboy's POV

I was walking in the hallway to my room when I heard something from J.D's room. I peek in the door and see my daughter and Steve's son playing tonsil hockey. I wanted to scream and strangle Eric but I thought of me and Connie and how we meet at Eric's age and that we use to hate how people would barge in on us. I feel a presence next to me and look over to see Steve peeking in the room over me. He looks murderous.

"I'm going to kill that kid." He mutters meaning his kid and _not_ mine. He almost rams the door done before I pull him back. I nearly have to drag him down the stairs him cussing me out the entire time. Everybody else was in the family room watching some basketball game. I dragged Steve outside to the backyard and made him sit down in one of the chairs.

"What is wrong with you man! You and I just both saw our kids macking and you're not pissed?" He nearly screams remembering that everyone was in the family room.

"I know that. It's just that I think that this is healthy for her." I tell him. I knew that as a dad that I should be as pissed as Steve was, but I couldn't do that. It wasn't in my nature to be anger at someone for more than fifteen seconds. I thought that they made a cute couple.

"How is this healthy for J.D? I mean I love my son and all, but he is exactly like me when I was that age. A little jerk!" he says exasperated. I sigh and put my head in my hands. I wish that Steve could get this. I just really needed someone to get this. Steve sighed and went back inside. I went into the garage and went to the frig. I grabbed the bottle of rum I kept in there for special occasions. The last special thing that I did with Connie was split some of this same rum over the new years. We made promises to each other that year. I made a promise to stop smoking and Connie promised to stop spending so much money on clothes. We both held out on those promises. The last thing that we were going to do was go to some Italian restaurant for our anniversary. It was five days away.

I went back to the porch and opened the bottle. I took a swig of it and gulped down the taste. I guess you could call me a wreck since Connie died. The trip helped some but I never really have gotten over what had happened to my beautiful wife. It was unfair to everyone. Mikie will never have known his mother. Patrick was a mama's boy and clung to her always. J.D just needs her mother, ever teenage girl does. It was unfair to me that I never got to say goodbye to her. I was working the night shift and got a phone call from the police about how there had been an accident and that J.D and Connie were involved. I went to St. Paul's and saw J.D in the waiting room shaking her eyes red. I knew right then what had happened. I went to her and put her in my lap as she sobbed. I rocked her crying myself. I couldn't believe that this was a reality. It was all so unreal. It still is. Some days I will reach over the side of the bed expecting to feel my wife's warm body but just grab the air. I take another drink of the alcohol. I keep drinking the substance until it gets dark. I sit there for awhile drinking and crying silently. I feel my eyes getting all red and puffy. Look at me, a grown man sobbing in his backyard getting drunk while his three children are inside. I hear the screen door open and see my brother Sodapop standing there looking shocked.

"I miss her." I say tearfully.

He comes over to me understanding what I mean. He hugs me letting me sob into his shirt. I have never felt so helpless or so relieved in my life. With each tear came acceptance. With each sob came peace and with each bitter curse came new life. Soda held me rubbing my back crying a little too. He liked Connie a lot and felt pain when she died. I finally stop crying and pull back from my brother.

"You all right now?" he asks me. I nod and shakily stand. I was a little unstable from the rum and was tired. Soda put my arm over his shoulder and helped me inside. Darry, Shynee, and Patrick were at the table going over the travel plans. Darry looked at me and came over to me and Soda. He put my arm over his shoulder as well and helped Soda get me up the stairs to my room.

"Dad? Are you okay?" Patrick asks me.

"Dad's fine, Pat. Stay down here." Darry tells him. He and Soda get me up the stairs and into my room. Soda gets me on the bed while Darry takes off my shoes. Soda rubs my head and turns off the light. Darry pats my leg and closes the door. I fall asleep almost instantly.

J.D's POV

Eric's lips tasted like mint gum and nicotine. He was holding my elbow and my side as we kissed. He was so gentle and caring. I never have seen him like this before. So caring and patient. He ran his hand through my hair softly and holds me there. I have never been kissed like this before by anyone. Not by Julius or any of my other boyfriends. They were always wanting more, but Eric, it was like he was content in this moment right here and now. We stayed there for awhile only stopping the kiss to breath. When we finally did stop it had been twenty minutes. We lay on the bed holding hands. I turned to him still holding his hand.

"What happens from here?" I ask him. He sits up dragging me with him.

"What do you want to happen from here?" he asks running his fingers through my hair.

"I want this." I tell him leaning against his chest. He holds me stroking my hair.

"I told you." He says after awhile.

"You told me what?" I ask him.

"I told you that I wasn't such a bad guy." He says. I smile and let him hold me until we fall asleep next to each other.

**Please Review. **


	16. The Finale

**Okay. I realize that it has been a while since I updated, but I was writing my other story Becoming Dallas Winston. Check it out, it's pretty good. I do not own the Outsiders.**

Chapter 16

Ponyboy's POV

When I woke up, I had the biggest headache. I haven't had a hangover since I was 23. I was almost 40, I can't believe that I got drunk last night. I got up and shakily went down stairs. Two-Bit, Steve, Shynee, Soda, and Darry were down in the kitchen sipping on coffee and eating eggs. Darry smiles at me.

"Morning Ponyboy!" he hollers. I groan and hold my head.

"Please don't." I say weakly sitting down at the table. Shynee got me some eggs and coffee.

"Thank you Shay. At least you didn't get your father's cruel since of humor." I say. Everyone laughs, including Darry. I looked at the clock on the wall, 7:39.

"Where's J.D?" I ask. Just then, we all hear Coke-a-Cola.

"Eric, man, what the hell?" I run upstairs and go into J.D's room. Johnny and Eric were on the bed, thankfully fully clothed, looking tired and confused. Darry, Soda, Two-Bit, and Steve had followed me. Steve looked ready to throttle Eric.

"Eric Mason Randell, what the hell is going on here?" Steve seethes.

"Uncle Steve, it wasn't Eric's fault. It was mine." J.D says. I can tell that she's covering from Eric. I was proud of her. "It was mine. I was upset and Eric came in here yesterday. We talked for a few hours, and then we must have fallen asleep. It was my fault, not Eric's." she says, a little scared of Steve.

I look at my daughter and bend my finger for her to come here. I put a hand on her shoulder leading her to my bedroom. I close the door. I sit down on the bed and motion for her to join me. She sits on the bed, looking ready for a scolding.

"Care to explain to me what happened?" I ask her. She takes in a breath and looks at the floor.

"Johnny Dallas, look at me." I say firmly. She looks at me and sighs.

"It's kinda stupid. When I went to Julius's house the other day he was there with Rachel Freeman. They were kissing, he asked what I was even doing there, I left and went to the park for a few hours. I must have fallen asleep because when I woke up it was a few hours later. I went back home, I climbed up the fire escape and started to cry in my room. Eric must have heard me, because he came in and calmed down. After a few hours we must have fallen asleep because when we woke up, Cola was in the room ready to pound Eric's face in. I'm sorry Daddy." She finishes crying. I pull her close and hold my baby girl. She sobs a little and I realize that I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with my heartbroken teenage daughter.

"I wish Mom was here." She says.

"Me to baby." I say rocking her. I kiss the top of her head.

"Are you mad at me?" she asks timidly.

"Not really mad. I wish you would have came to me, but I guess that you weren't thinking clearly. Just remember I'm always here for you, J.D." she nods and lets me hold her. After a few minutes she stops crying and pulls away from me.

"So, are you and Eric a 'thing' now." I tease her.

"Dad!" she moans and flops down on the bed. I laugh and pat her back.

After an hour of explaining to Steve, yelling, apologizes, and hugs, we all go sit in the living room. We were talking about travel plans and how we would have to leave for Tulsa. I guess this was the time to bring up the moving idea.

"I was thinking." I started. Everybody looked at me. I laughed inwardly, when I was younger, I could have predicted the future and nobody would have listened, now I was the alpha male. "That me and the kids move back home to Tulsa."

J.D stared at me blankly, Patrick looked happy, and Mikie slept in his sister's arms. Darry and Soda looked excited, Two-Bit was smiling and Steve was nodding.

"When?" J.D asks.

"Before school starts. Sometime in August, maybe late July." I say. She nods and sighs.

"I don't know, I mean, I love this family, but this is our home. Me and Pat have gone to school here since preschool. It's up to you, dad." She says.

"What do you want to do Patrick?" I ask my son.

"I want to move to Tulsa. I mean, I'll miss Aunt Gracie and my friends, but we'll get to live with your side of the family. I think it would be awesome!" he says bouncing up and down. I turn to my brothers.

"What do you guys think?"

"I would love to have you back home." Soda says.

"Same here Ponyboy. But what will you do about work?" Darry says.

"I can get a job in Tulsa or in Broken Arrow. I'm sure that they could use a clinic doctor there." I say. Darry nods. I turn back to J.D.

"It's up to you J.D. What do want to do?"

She scrunches her eyebrows together, like Connie did, and sighs.

"Let's start packing."

**Okay, they are moving back to Tulsa. I want to know if I should make this into a series or just leave it as it is. Tell me what you think. **

**The End.**


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